DOMESTIC VIOLENE AND THE ECONOMY: A potentially lethal mix

JANE DOE INC. SUBMITTED THIS OPED TO PAPERS ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS
Authors: Mary R. Lauby, Executive Director of Jane Doe Inc., the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence and Sue Else, President of National Network to End Domestic Violence

November 25, 2008

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The ripple effect of the current economic crisis has multiplied in ways that many of us could never imagine: banks folding, stock markets diving and an astronomical government bailout.

For victims of domestic violence the impact of this downward economic spiral could be deadly.

Let’s be clear. It’s not that a bad economy – or the joblessness, homelessness, poverty and stress it creates – causes domestic violence. If the cause and effect were that simple, solutions would be easy.

The complex reality is that economic stresses often lead to more frequent abuse, more violent abuse and more dangerous abuse when domestic violence already exists. Domestic violence programs report that victims experience an increase in abuse in part because out-of-work abusers have more opportunity to batter. Rhode Island, for example, has recently seen a 25% increase in felony-level domestic violence crimes. Victims end up with fewer resources and opportunity to contact programs for help, to attend support groups or to get away from the batterer.

Compounding the problem, domestic violence programs face a trio of economic factors – cuts in federal funding, increased demand for services and decreased private donations as people lose their jobs or see a downturn in their own personal finances. These budget constraints make it more difficult – and in some cases impossible – for local programs to meet the needs of their communities.

In 2007, the National Network to End Domestic Violence conducted its second annual 24-hour census of domestic violence shelters and programs across the nation. (36 of 46 MA programs participated.) The census report found that in one day, more than 53,000 women, men and children across the country received services from domestic violence programs. Over 25,000 of those individuals, of whom more than half were children, found refuge in emergency domestic violence shelters or transitional housing.

Yet tragically, on that same day, more than 7,700 victims who sought services from their local domestic violence programs were not served because the programs didn’t have enough funding and resources. Programs in Massachusetts reported 309 unmet requests for services due to a critical shortage of funds and staff.

An equally alarming statistic is the three-fold increase in domestic violence related homicides in the past four years in Massachusetts. Noted research Jaclyn Campbell has identified two key risk factors in relation to domestic violence homicides: limited access to services for victims and unemployment for batterers.

Remember, this situation existed before the current economic crisis.

So while the government, the financial markets and others are focused on how to solve one of the biggest economic disasters in recent history, we must also plan for how we are going to protect victims of domestic violence from further harm.

On the federal level, two key funding sources to serve millions of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and other crimes must be restored. In 2008, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) budget was slashed by $2.1 million. Congress has capped the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), a federal grant program funded entirely by fines and penalties paid by offenders without any taxpayer dollars.

Not only do we need President-Elect Obama and Congress to increase funding levels for FVPSA and VOCA, we also need them to foster new ways of reaching victims, friends, family members, co-workers and health care providers.

Massachusetts offers an example for other state governments as well as the new President and Congress. The recent Public Service Announcement featuring First Lady Diane Patrick produced by Jane Doe Inc. with funding from the Commonwealth’s Department of Public Health is but one example of effective private-public collaboration. We need to see more along these lines here in Massachusetts and across the country.

Governor Patrick opted not to cut any of the funding from the sexual assault and domestic violence line items in his 9-C cuts. We know this was not an easy decision when so many other worthy and necessary services were not spared. This continued investment in both intervention services and prevention efforts offers short- and long-term savings for the Commonwealth in terms of both financial costs and lives saved.

We must expect that we can provide what every victim from every community needs, but non-profits and government cannot do it without a robust investment of private philanthropy and volunteerism. This crisis affects each of us – and requires each of us to take action.